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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- The only thing Tulsa coach Bill Self
recognized about his ranked team Thursday night was the
victory.
The Golden Hurricane (No. 16 ESPN/USA Today, No. 17 AP) saw most of a 20-point lead disappear
before pulling away again for a 70-59 win over Southern Methodist
(16-5, 4-3).
Tulsa (21-2, 6-1 Western Athletic Conference), normally cool under pressure, appeared so on edge that Self found little to
praise except the final score.
"We had some good moments but we just didn't play very smart," Self said. "All we did right tonight was we tried real hard, but
we didn't show much poise."
Eric Coley scored 14 points for the Golden Hurricane, who forced 23 turnovers -- 15 on steals -- and blocked eight shots while holding the Mustangs (16-5, 4-3) to 24 percent shooting, including 1-of-18 from 3-point range.
"We were lucky tonight because they missed their shots," Self said. "Other than a win, I didn't see much good come out of
this."
Foul trouble nearly cost the Golden Hurricane late.
Tulsa lost sixth-man David Shelton to fouls with 6½ minutes to go, Coley fouled out with 3:18 remaining and center Brandon Kurtz, who had 10 points, did the same a minute later.
SMU (16-5, 4-3), which had second-half runs of 13-2 and 9-0, was able to get within four points in the final minutes before Tulsa pulled away.
"I think for the most part, any win is a good win," Coley
said. "It got ugly out there, but we know we can play better."
Tony Heard added 11 points and four steals for the Golden Hurricane, while Marcus Hill had 10 points.
Jeryl Sasser had 15 points for the Mustangs, who finished with a 58-42 rebound advantage, while Willie Davis added 13 points and had four steals.
Both Sasser and Davis fouled out in the final minutes and SMU's rally fizzled.
"I admired their defense in the first half," SMU coach Mike Dement said of Tulsa. "They really bodied us well. ... They
certainly have great scorers and have lots of guys that play. Their
young guys are contributing.
"I'm proud of our guys for battling back."
Coley's 3-pointer with 7½ minutes left in the first half made him only the second player in Tulsa history to register 1,000 career points, 500 rebounds and 200 steals.
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
SMU Clubhouse
Tulsa Clubhouse
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